OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify the proportion of breastfed infants and correlate it with sociodemographic data in Campinas (SP), Brazil. METHODS: Between 2004 and 2005, interviewers visited 2,857 homes of children under two years of age and interviewed their mothers with a structured questionnaire containing questions regarding their socioeconomic level, breastfeeding practices and complementary foods. This randomized, cross-sectional, population-based study was based on data of "Children Born Alive" and on the prevalence of breastfeeding. The median breastfeeding duration was determined by Kaplan Meier's survival analysis and the time was adjusted by Cox's multivariate analysis. The significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Median exclusive breastfeeding was 90 days (CI 95%: 87.6 - 92.4); and median general breastfeeding was 120 days (CI 95%: 117.7 - 122.3). At 1 month of age, 66.2% of the children were exclusively breastfed; this percentage decreased to 2.3% at 6 months of age. Tea and powdered milk were introduced at a median age of 120 days (CI 95%: 113.2 - 126.8 and CI 95%: 112.7 - 127.3 respectively). The child's skin color and the mother's education level, profession and marital status were associated with breastfeeding duration and practices. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors can interfere in median breastfeeding duration. Although the median breastfeeding duration in Campinas is better than elsewhere in Brazil, it is below the internationally recommended median, the city needs to invest more in this area.
Breastfeeding; Weaning; Cross sectional studies
